For member institutions that would like to release their library catalog data on the Web, this open data license provides the means to share WorldCat-derived data in a manner that is consistent with the cooperative’s community norms defined in the “WorldCat Rights and Responsibilities” document.

Data can be freely shared subject only to attribution and OCLC’s request that those making use of WorldCat-derived data conform to the community norms.

The recommendation follows passage of a resolution by OCLC Global Council in April 2012 that endorsed the ODC-BY, and recommended that OCLC staff consult with opinion leaders and stakeholders for further input. After researching and experimenting with different data licenses on OCLC and WorldCat data projects, and in close consultation with the library and developer communities, the recommendation was adopted by the OCLC Board of Trustees.

Tablets are taking their place as the fourth screen in consumers’ minds, joining TV, PCs and smartphones as the gateway to digital media consumption. Insights from comScore TabLens reveal today’s U.S. tablet consumer.

Analysis of the top purchase consideration factors for an average tablet owner found that selection of apps and price of tablet led as the most important factors, both scoring 7.7 on a 10-point scale. Brand name of tablet and tablet operating system followed as the next most important factors each with a 7.5 rating, while music/video capabilities ranked #5 in purchase consideration factors with a rating of 7.4.

A comparative look at the purchase consideration factors for iPad and Kindle Fire owners found significant differences between what these consumers deemed important. iPad owners found selection of apps most important in their purchase decision, scoring an 8.1, closely followed by brand name of tablet with a rating of 8.0. Meanwhile, Kindle Fire owners placed the greatest weight on price of tablet (8.1), followed by selection of apps (7.5).

Brand name of tablet and operating system were both scored as less important among Kindle Fire owners than among iPad owners.

Somewhat surprisingly, consumers did not place strong importance on having the same operating system across their tablet and smartphone, with this factor falling outside of the top five consideration factors for iPad, Kindle Fire and the average tablet owner. This finding highlights the potential for brands, such as Microsoft with its recently announced Surface Tablet, to see consumer adoption in the tablet market even though it might lack strong penetration in the smartphone market.

Jay Jordan to continue as OCLC President and CEO until June 2013

At the request of the OCLC Board of Trustees, Jay Jordan will delay his retirement and remain as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OCLC for another year, providing the Board time to appoint his successor and complete a smooth leadership transition.

OCLC Trustees will determine the succession plan and develop a time line for selecting a new leader for the cooperative during its next regularly scheduled meeting, September 9–10. The search process is expected to take several months.

In June, Larry Alford, Chair of the OCLC Board of Trustees, announced that the Board had made the decision that it was in the best interest of the OCLC cooperative to invite Jay Jordan to continue to serve as President and CEO.

“Jay’s continued commitment to OCLC and the membership has resulted in a seamless continuation of OCLC’s important work and service to member libraries,” said Mr. Alford. “Jay, the senior leadership team and the more than 1,200 employees of OCLC are hard at work enhancing services, including WorldCat and WorldShare, conducting research and delivering membership programs that advance libraries and library services to millions of library users across the globe.”

Numbers are updated weekly and reflect only records contributed by libraries. Article-level metadata is not included.

WorldCat is the world’s most comprehensive database of library materials. Updated at a rate of nearly one new record every second, WorldCat contains bibliographic records and holdings contributed by more than 11,000 libraries around the world. Learn more »

WorldCat.org is a Web portal to the global WorldCat catalog with a supporting program of data syndication that makes your library's collection discoverable virtually anywhere on the Web, including major search engines such as Google and Yahoo!. Learn more »